Valorant: Best Vandal Skins and the Placebo Effect

With the Champions League set for August, Valorant 2024's competitive season will soon come to an end. In Seoul, Korea, we will have the last event of the Valorant Champions Tour, or VCT, celebrating the best team in the world in this year's season. To this day, within this universe, we have a heated discussion: which is the best Vandal skin, if there even is one? Can I see my performance really change after purchasing a skin? Let's comment on these matters, and also speculate about the new global skins that will be released!

A few weeks ago, Riot released a new skin pack: Evori Dreamwings. The skin fits into the magical girl theme, the melee weapon is a butterfly staff. Naturally, it was a package that really appealed to me: each weapon has its own familiar, and the chromas are beautiful; I set aside the money specifically to buy Vandal, and already added all the visual enhancements. Excited, I equipped my first skin and went to play ranked: And in every round I played Vandal, I felt like I was missing shots, and my pixel openings were worse. Why did this happen?

Well, there is an obvious fact: a skin with a familiar, butterflies and full of visual effects will divert your attention to it during the game, especially right after you’ve just purchased it. In my case, I felt like I wasn't playing well, and it was true: I was so distracted by the effects that it felt like shooting worse. In fact, the opposite effect also exists: there are people who, when using certain skins, feel that their performance improves drastically, whether due to visual comfort or the motivation of having a new style.

Who has never heard a gaming friend say: “Wow, this skin doesn’t do anything”. In any case, this is known in the community as the Placebo effect: the player is so used to the sound effects, visuals and timing, that when they are changed abruptly, it can make things better or worse. There are countless reports contraries to mine, where those who purchased the skin started to play better, and that goes for any line.

The final consequence is that the player needs to get used to their new point of view, even more so with flashy skins: today I use the skin and perform normally, I no longer have that feeling, but it took a month to get used to the effects and not get distracted.

The relevant point here is: if you are interested in a line of weapons, it is recommended to watch videos on YouTube, reviews of people using them, and also think about it a lot, as the looks are not cheap. One other possibility is to use other players' weapons in a lobby with the skin, or ask to use one that a friend already has. It may not be as relevant for high-level players, however, those who play for fun routinely may feel these changes.

Controversial subject, but here's a disclaimer: the best skin for the player is always the one they like the most! There are several popular lines that some people love, and others hate; The same goes for any type of weapon, so first and foremost look for your own satisfaction!

Vandal Kuronami

It's impossible not to discuss the community's biggest favorite: Vandal Kuronami. Released in January 2024, at the time of this article, the only way to get the skin on your account is by waiting for it to appear in your daily store, however, considering how much it is loved, we will probably welcome its collection back in the future. With its ninjutsu theme, the weapon makes shuriken sounds when fired, and its tips are all sharp. Here the colors are simple, but the kill and reload animations are sublime. It's also not that flashy, so it suits compact and elegant skins. There are those who also compare which is their best chroma, and to this day, the most popular is the purple, with golden edges.

Prelude to Chaos Vandal

Released in June 2022, this one is also very popular: Prelude To Chaos Vandal. With an industrial and futuristic design, the main highlight here are the sounds of gunfire and kills. The weapon has a core that flows according to the chosen chroma, and the design resembles a cybernetic cyberpunk style. This one competes for the podium with Kuronami, and even though it’s older, it’s equally present in lobbies.

Prime Vandal

From the first line of skins ever launched in the game, here the visuals are simple and dynamic: kills are signaled with a wolf, which also appears at the finisher. Its default coloring is gold with purple (here we can see a pattern that players like), and recharging is done with a shiny crystal. With the most traditional look of the game, apart from the base weapons, it’s still the comfort skin for many players and professionals.

Reaver Vandal

Coming directly from another world, this was one of the first skins that went more into the ghostly/spiritual aspect, without going overboard. Reaver Vandal was released in 2020, the same year as Prime Vandal. Its main colors are purple and black, with a flow of energy that feels alive when holding the weapon. The kill mark is a skull, and its finisher drags the kill victim to an abyssal portal full of arms; Definitely a must-have for anyone who likes the gothic aesthetics.

Evori Dreamwings Vandal

The most recent launch to date, which will no longer be the highlight: Evori Dreamwings. The first line following the magical girl theme, and perhaps the one with the most visual effects to date. The weapons have familiars, and their kill mark is a heart in the color of the chosen chroma. At the finisher, the animals come together and fly up to the sky, their constellations appearing on the horizon. Players either love it or hate it, choose your side!

Elderflame Vandal

This one even burst the shooting game bubble: where have you ever seen a gun be a dragon?! Even though it is very controversial for raising the price list of skins, it is undeniable that the line is iconic, and many players still love it. There's no mistake: anyone who likes dragons or lizards in general is always enchanted by the details.

Champions 2021 Vandal

Celebrating the 2021 competitive season, this skin is not available in the daily store. When released, it was possible to obtain it from the commemorative bundle, or as a drop from streams of VCT matches! Themed with that year's song, the weapon has the word “Champions” on its side, and plays the song “Die For You” when inspected.

There are still countless skins which can be cited as favorites of other players, which mark memories of the time in which they were released. Again, the best skin will always be the one that you, by personal choice, like the most! Regardless of this choice, you will get used to the skin without any problems and will soon play your game in the style you want!